Horse-ride amusement device.



C. F. PECK.

HORSE RIDE AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 30. I913. 1,165,898.

A A zllll 'vllllll C. F. PECK,

HORSE RIDE AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

APPLiCATIDN FILED OCT. 30, l9l3. 1,165,898. Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

menses.

CHARLES E. PECK, F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

HORSE-RIDE AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

Application filed October 30, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CnAnLns F. PEGK, a citizen of the United States, residing at lr hiladelphia, in the county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Horse- Ride Amusement Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the. art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to amusement apparatus of the carousel type in which the passengers are carried on wooden horses and the like.

An object of the present invention is to provide a rock motion mechanism between the horse and its support, and also to provide means for actuating the legs of the horse to simulate trotting.

A further object is to provide a support-- ing truck for the horse and a track for the truck to travel on, cushion means being provided for preventing the truck from jumping the track, such means functioning withut shock to the rider.

With the above objects in view the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be made in the minor details of construction within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings illustrat ing this invention :-Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross sectional view on the line 2-2 Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 33 Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a cross sectional. view on the line H Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through the horse and support with parts in elevation and showing the horse rocked forwardly. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing the horse rocked rearwardly. 7 is a cross sectional view on the line 7-7 Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is an underneath plan view showing the plate carried by the body of the horse with its rollers and attached cords for actuating the legs of the horse.

Referring now to the drawings in which like. characters of reference designate similar parts, 10 designates track rails of a race course, which are secured to ties 11 or other suitable roadbed. On the track there travels Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2%, 1215..

Serial No. 798,312.

a wheeled truck 12 which carries a wooden horse 13 that supports the passenger as usual in apparatus of this character.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a rock motion connection and also a sliding motion connection between the belly of the horse and an arched standard 15 carried by the truck, whereby the leaning backward and forward of the passenger induces a corresponding movement or gal-- loping in the horse. The rock motion connection comprises a plate 16 which is operatively connected with and extends longitudinally upon the center of the belly of the horse, is provided centrally with a transversely disposed depending tubular bearing 18. The above mentioned arched bracket 15 is flattened as shown at 19 on the top for a distance corresponding to the length of the plate 16 and is centrally provided on the side edges of this flattened top with upstanding hinge lugs 20 through which and the tubular bearing 18 a pivot which and the tubular bearing 18 a pivot pin 22 are disposed on the top of the bracket, one pin on each side of the pivot pin 21, these pins being normally urged by their springs against the ends of the bottom face of the plate 16 and tending to yieldably hold the horse horizontal. Each pin is slidably fitted in a socket 28 carried by the bracket top, there being a helical spring 24: confined in the socket and urging the pin vertically.

The sliding motion connection comprises a plate 25 which is similar to and is arranged in superposed relation with respect to the plate 16, the plate 25 being fixed to the belly of the horse by means of screws 26 or otherwise, the plate being equipped at the corners with wheels 27 which run upon track rails 28 formed integral with the plate 16 and are held against jumping from the track by guard rails 29, the guard rails being disposed to engage over the tops of the wheels and being so proportioned as to permit of the horse having a backward and forward sliding movement of about two inches more or less. The front legs 30 of the horse are connected by a bar 31 which is centrally equipped with an eye 32 to which a cord 33 is attached, the cord being trained rearwardly between the plates 16 and 25 and directed over a sheave 34 disposed at the rear end of the plate 25 thence carried forwardly and fixed to the front end of the plate 16 as shown at 35.

The front legs 30 are pivoted to the body of the horse by the bar 31. Likewise, the rear legs 87 are pivoted to the body of the horse by a bar 39 to which a cord 40 is connected, this cord being trained forwardly between the plates 16 and 25 and directed over a sheave 41 secured to the forward edge of the plate 25 thence directed rearwardly and fixed to the rear edge of the plate 16 as shown at 42. It will now be evident that upon the horse sliding bodily forward the cord 40 will be tautened and the rear legs rocked up while simultaneously the cord 33 will be slackened and the front legs 30 allowed to gravitate as shown in Fig. 5. Upon the body of the horse sliding rearwardly the above operation will be reversed and the parts will assume the positions shown in Fig. 6. The horse thus simulates trotting as the operator sways forwardly and backwardly.

It is obvious, that some means must be employed to prevent the wheeled truck 12 from jumping the track, since violent movement imparted to the horse by an excited passenger would naturally tend to upend the truck and cause the same to leave the rails. In the present embodiment of the invention I employ arched comparatively still leaf springs 43 which are disposed longitudinally of the platform 44 of the wheeled truck outside of the arched bracket 15, the ends of these springs being abruptly bent downwardly and bolted to the ends of the platform as shown at 45, or otherwise secured. The truck is housed on opposite sides by fences or frames 46 to the tops of which are secured floors 47 which project toward and underlie the body of the horse, and to the bottom faces of these floors are secured longitudinal bars 48. These bars form stops against which the arched springs 43 impinge or rub upon violent galloping movement of the horse and prevent the wheels of the truck from leaving the track rails 10.

What is claimed is 1. In an amusement device, the combination with a passenger carrying member, of a wheeled truck, an arched bracket carried by said truck, pivotal legs on said member, and a combined rock motion and sliding motion connection between the member and said bracket adapted upon pivotal movement of the member to actuate said legs.

2. In an amusement device, the combination with a passenger carrying member, of a wheeled truck, an arched bracket on said truck, a combined pivotal and sliding connection between the member and said bracket, cushion devices on said bracket on opposite sides of said connection serving to yieldably hold said member in a given position, and legs pivoted on said member and operatively connected with the combined pivotal and sliding connection to effect rocking movement of the legs upon sliding movement of said connection.

3. In an amusement device, the combination with a passenger carrying member, of wheeled truck, an arched bracket carried by said truck, a hinge connection between the member and said bracket, a track for said truck, a housing for said truck and track, and yielding devices carried by said truck engageable with said housing and serving to prevent said truck leaving said track.

4. In an amusement device, the combination with a track and a wheeled truck mounted thereon, of a passenger carrying member pivotally connected with the truck, and means for preventing the wheels of the truck from jumping the track under influence of pivotal movement of the passenger carrying member, said means including a housing for the track, and a bow spring secured to each side of the truck and adapted to engage at their intermediate portions with the housing when the truck wheels rise from the track.

5. In an amusement device, the combination with a wheeled truck, of an arch disposed before and aft the truck and provided with front and rear sockets, a passenger carrying member pivotally connected with the support between the sockets, plungers engaging the sockets, and springs disposed within the sockets in position to support the plungers, the latter being arranged for successive depression upon oscillation of the passenger carrying member.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES F. PECK. ,Witnesses:

ABRAHAM HAFIF, HOWARD R. PRATT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. O. 

